


Back To You

by AniRay



Category: Queen of the South (TV)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 03 Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 21:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18978958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniRay/pseuds/AniRay
Summary: She hadn't expected to do this alone. But she had figured it out.Then he came back...Alternate ending for season three. What if things went a little differently after 3x11.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> No clue what this is or where it came from. But I kinda like it.

She collapsed back onto a mound of pillows. Sweat dampened her skin and curled the hair along her forehead. She had never felt anything like the pain she had just been through, never thought pain like that could exist. Her breathing was still shaky and too fast and her entire body felt like one giant bruise.

But she couldn’t stop smiling.

From the other side of the room, Teresa could hear her son crying. She could hear the nurse as she cooed at him and talked in that baby voice. Turning her head, she watched as the nurse carried her little boy over to her. She was so tired, but somehow her arms still lifted when the nurse got close enough. She carefully took her baby and pulled him to her chest. Then the rest of the world melted away.

He was so small. She had never seen anything so tiny and perfect. She took the little mitt off of his left hand and kissed five tiny fingers. Then she took the mitt off of is right hand and did the same thing. His head was full of the softest dark curls, curls that reminded her of his father. He was perfect.

A warm hand landed on her shoulder and Teresa leaned into the touch. She couldn’t take her eyes off her baby, but she turned her head to smile at James. He had been amazing. She had always known that Guero would freak out if they had kids- the whole pregnancy he would be too fussy. And she knew he would lose it when she went into labor. But James was perfect.

James was calm, and collected like always, if a little more protective than usual. He made sure she was taking care of herself without being overbearing. And when she went into labor he was the same. She hadn’t worried for one second because he was there and he was calm and if James was calm then everything was happening the way it should be.

He had held her hand when she needed him to. He had stood on the other side of the room- out of the way- when she needed space. Quiet, strong- there for her. In whatever way she needed him- he was always there. She loved him for it. For that and a million other things. And now their baby was here and she loved him even more. She couldn’t believe it. They had made this little person. And she loved this baby more than anything in this world.

James pressed a kiss to her damp hair, “He needs a name.”

She watched her son as he yawned widely, little mouth a perfect oval. They had talked about names. Had made a list of their top five. But she couldn’t think of any of them right then. She was so taken with this little boy. James moved around to sit on the bed next to her. He reached over and gently put the mitts back on the baby’s hands, pulling his blanket a little closer under his chin. It was the most precious thing Teresa had ever seen. This hard, dangerous man being so soft with this tiny helpless child.

She took James’ hand in hers and squeezed. Their joined hands rested on the baby’ stomach softly. “What do you want to call him?” She knew what he would say- he’d tell her it was her choice. But she wanted this to be something they chose together. They were in this together- the three of them. Her family.

But he surprised her. He carefully took the baby out of her arms and cradled him to his chest instead. He looked so natural with a baby in his arms. And she watched something change in him- some shift. James was suddenly both softer and more dangerous as he held his son. The love he felt for his little boy was more than obvious, but there was something darker beneath the joy- a protectiveness that Teresa had never seen before.

“There was a guy- in Afghanistan. Name was Ricky.” Teresa watched James closely. He didn’t talk about Afghanistan. He didn’t talk about his past at all. “He said if he made it home he wanted to find a girl and settle down. Said he’d name his kid Miguel if it was a boy.” James ran his finger down the baby’s cheek slowly. “He never made it home.”

There was more to the story. She could feel it. But she didn’t ask- she just nodded. “I like Miguel. It’s a good name. Miguel Santiago Valdez.” James looked at her for a long time. There was something in his eyes- something she couldn’t name. He slowly shook his head, eyes going back to the infant in his arms.

“Not Santiago. I don’t want him to be called James.”

She didn’t fight him. She could understand that. She wouldn’t want her daughter to have her name either- too much blood on it. She thought of the men she cared about most- Tony, Pote, Charger, George and Boaz. She thought about her abuelo and her Tio Mateo…Her father. “Cristobal.” James looked up and she knew he could see how much this name meant to her- even if he didn’t know why. He didn’t say anything, but she knew. Their son had a name. One that meant something to them both.

Standing up, James took Miguel to the bassinet and laid him down. He was so careful, but he wasn’t nervous or scared. She watched as he rolled the bassinet over so that it was beside her- she wouldn’t have to reach to pick up the baby. Reaching into his pocket James pulled out a band of some kind. It was small and metal, but that was all Teresa could see.

He leaned down and whispered something to Miguel and Teresa felt her heart stop. Something was wrong. He was tense now, and even though she couldn’t hear the words, she heard James’ tone. It reminded her of the night she decided to leave Camila after Chicago. How he had wanted to make things better, but knew he couldn’t. His hands fiddled with the baby’s blanket then he put the band on Miguel’s little wrist. Panic was rising and she didn’t know why. She didn’t understand what was going on.

“James…” He pressed another kiss to Miguel’s forehead. Then another on his cheek. Finally he straightened and turned to her. “No.” She shook her head, trying to be forceful. But he just looked at her with those dark eyes. “James, no. Whatever you’re planning- don’t.” But he just smiled at her sadly.

Her throat felt tight and her eyes stung. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. It was soft. It was too soft. And it was…sad. Like he was broken and he needed her to put him back together. “I love you Teresa,” he whispered, lips brushing against hers gently.  She gasped into the kiss before he deepened it, tilting her head up just so. He had never said that before. He had traced it on her skin after they made love. He had shown her with his actions every day for a while now. But he had never _said_ it.

The tears she had been fighting fell.

She didn’t want this. Whatever this was- she didn’t want it. She didn’t want the thing that made him this sad. She didn’t want his first ‘I love you’ to be seeped in some emotion she didn’t understand. Her hands came up to grab the sides of his jacket- trying to hold him there, bring him closer. They were both breathing hard, his hand sliding into her damp curls and she gripped him tighter. “James,” she whimpered as salt touched her lips.

“I love you. And I will do whatever it takes to protect you. Both of you.”

Then he pulled back. His hands gently took hers from his jacket, kissing each one before placing them in her lap. He brushed a curl back from her forehead. Then he turned and walked out of the room. She stared at the door as she tried to calm her breathing-tried to understand. But it didn’t open again- he didn’t come back. She waited and waited. Pote came. Tony came. George and Javier. Boaz and Charger.

But not James.

She finally looked at the band he had put on Miguel. She had kept it covered with the blanket while she held him. She didn’t want the others to see. It wasn’t for them. But she had been alone with Miguel for a while now. She couldn’t wait anymore. And she needed to know. She needed to feel something good. Something other than hurt and confusion.

It was a bracelet. Two thin, flat metal bands . It was on an adjustable metal chain- something Miguel could grow with. Teresa smiled at that. Then the smile faded as she realized what it meant. James wouldn’t be back in a day or two- or even a month. Her eyes burned again as she held her son closer. She took a deep breath- then another. Finally she focused on the words engraved on the band.

_I love you, Little Man. Always. Dad._

She gently turned the band over to the other side.

_I’ll come back to you._


	2. Chapter Two

Teresa jolted awake. She blinked rapidly trying to focus. She glanced around the kitchen. Pote was by the window rocking Miguel. He had woken up and hadn’t wanted to go back to sleep. She had been fixing him a bottle, when she must have fallen asleep at the table with Miguel in the playpen they kept in the kitchen for nights like these.

“You look tired, Teresita.”

She had heard that before. A lot. And it was usually followed by some rude comment about James. Which she didn’t need tonight. “Did he eat?” Pote nodded. He looked at the baby sleeping in his arms and smiled. No matter what Pote had to say about James, he adored Miguelito. Standing up, Teresa put away the baby formula and moved to wash the bottle Miguel had used. “He’s been fussy recently.” She wasn’t worried yet. But Teresa was more protective of Miguel recently, too.

Pote hummed in acknowledgement as he transferred Miguel to her. It had been a month since the baby came home and Teresa was still surprised at how far Pote had come. It had taken him almost a week to hold Miguel even though he was with him almost as much as Teresa was. “Well they say babies pick up on stress. And you’ve been stressed a lot lately.” Teresa started walking towards her room. She knew where this was leading. But Pote followed- like he always did. “Maybe if that pendejo hadn’t run off like a coward, you would be less stressed and you and Miguelito could both sleep at night.”

“He’s a month old, Pote. He’s not going to sleep all night no matter who’s here.” She stepped into her doorway, turning around to face her friend. “Thank you for worrying. But don’t. I’m fine. And as long as Miguel is okay, I am too.” She smiled as Pote’s frown deepened. Then she gently closed the door.

She carried Miguel to his crib and laid him down, careful not to wake him up. She pressed a light kiss to his forehead. She loved him so much. And each day she watched him become more and more of a little person with quirks and preferences.

“Your daddy loves you, Miguel. And he’s coming back soon.”

-

She was crying. She couldn’t stop crying. Miguel had said his first word and it was the best thing she had ever heard. She had smiled and clapped her hands and told her baby how wonderful she thought he was and how smart. It had been a perfect moment. Until she turned to tell James. Then it was as if her entire world ended…again.

She had quickly passed Miguel to Pote and then locked herself in her room. She could hear the guys in the living room playing with the baby and trying to get him to say their names. And it was adorable and so close to what she wanted. But… _James should be here._ It was all she could think. And he wasn’t and it had been _months_. Months since she had seen him. Months since anyone had even _heard_ from him.

It was driving her crazy. Wondering if he had really just abandoned them like Pote thought. Knowing that James would never do something like that. Then wondering if he was even alive. If he was being held somewhere like Guero had been. And all the while holding on to the last moments they had together- remembering how much he hadn’t wanted to leave. She reread the back of Miguel’s bracelet every night. She only took it off of him when he was sleeping.

Then she focused on her son. She focused on making sure he was happy and healthy and safe. She made sure he felt loved. Then she dealt with business. She made sure that everything was going smoothly and with little bloodshed. She didn’t want that darkness to touch her son. She made sure Tony was okay at school and Pote had fresh produce from the market he liked. But she couldn’t focus on any of that right then.

Because their baby had said his first word and James had missed it.

-

Miguel was covered in frosting, fast asleep on the living room floor. Toys were scattered on the floor around him with gift paper strewn in the mix. He was one year old. She had thrown him a ridiculously large party. Kids from the playgroup he went to had come. There were sprinklers for the kids to run through. Pote had made balloon animals- Teresa hadn’t known he could do that.

It was perfect. He had laughed so much and probably had too much sugar. But Teresa wouldn’t change a thing. She grabbed the packet of baby wipes from the table and sat on the floor, pulling Miguel into her lap. Gently, so she didn’t wake him, she wiped the stickiness from his face and hands. Her little man was growing up so fast it seemed. But she still loved these moments. When he was asleep and he looked so much like the baby they had first put in her arms.

She watched his sleeping face. There was so much of his father in him. Everyone always said they saw Teresa in Miguel, but she couldn’t see it. And she had a feeling they only said it because they thought James had abandoned her. Maybe that was why she only saw James…Because she missed him so much. Because she wanted him to be here.

Miguel snuggled closer to her and Teresa held him tighter. She wished she could get this picture- her little man, completely exhausted after enjoying his first birthday. There were plenty of pictures-on her phone and George’s. Boaz had hired a professional photographer to follow Miguel around almost the whole day. Teresa smiled. Boaz had done a lot of over the top things for Miguel that day.

Her phone vibrated and Teresa wiggled a little bit so she could get to it. She glanced at her screen and saw a text from an unknown number. She had said no business for the day. But Miguel was asleep and the party had been over for hours. She opened the message.

‘ _Cristobal, Happy Birthday. I love you so much. I’m still coming back. Dad.’_

Another message came in as Teresa fought to keep her breathing steady.

_‘Teresa. I love you. I sent him something. And you, too. J.’_

She sat on the floor and waited. She waited to see if he sent anything else- if he would call. But he didn’t. Somehow that didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. _He texted. He reached out. He’s still alive._ Two messages made the entire day so much better. Teresa quickly closed her messages before she started crying. She dropped a light kiss to her baby’s dark curls. Then she stood up and took her son to his room and put him to bed.

She’d show him the message from his father in the morning.

-

She had heard of the Terrible Twos, but she hadn’t believed it was true. Or maybe she had, but she hadn’t thought that Miguel would go through it. He did, though. And it was driving her insane. Whoever had taught her son the word ‘no’ was going to get a bullet in their leg. It was his favorite word. And his favorite thing to do? Stomp his foot and pout.

George and Boaz thought it was hilarious. And Tony seemed to enjoy antagonizing Miguel a little too much. But for Teresa it meant constant battles against a child who was as stubborn as his father. She ignored Pote when he said that Miguel got it from her. She knew better- this was all James.

Her sweet little boy suddenly hated everything. He didn’t want to wear shoes. He didn’t want to walk anymore. But he didn’t want you to carry him. He wanted juice. But he didn’t want juice. He ran when she told him to walk. He took things when she said leave them alone. She wanted to scream. But he did it enough so she held hers in.

It was exhausting.

And then it was like a switch had flipped and he was the same sweet, adorable child he had always been. His smiles still melted her heart. And when he laughed her world was brighter. He hugged her and told her he loved her and it was everything. And she lived for those moments. The calm between the storms.

But there was one thing that could always get Miguel to calm down.

Every night after bath-time, Teresa and Miguel would sit on the sofa. She would pull out her phone and the two of them would go through her pictures. The pictures of James. She would tell him about what had been happening when each picture was taken. And for the time it took for them to go through all of her pictures of James, Miguel was calm and quiet.

Miguel was cuddled against Teresa’s side as they went photo by photo. She was just about to swipe to the next picture when Miguel’s little hand stopped her. He took the phone and stared at the picture he loved most. James by the pool with Teresa perched on his lap. James was laughing and she was smiling at something out of view. George had taken the picture.  “That Daddy?”

Teresa nodded, ‘Yes, that’s your daddy.” She brushed Miguel’s curls back and kissed his head. “And he loves you and he’s coming back.” It was the same thing she told him every night. Even the night when she wondered if it was actually true.

“I love Daddy. And I love Mama.”

Teresa’s lips tipped up into a smile, “I love you, too.”

-

Teresa hated hospitals. She always had. But she hated them even more when her son was in one. She hadn’t slept in days. She looked terrible, she knew. But none of that mattered. Her baby was sick. He had a fever and when he coughed his whole body shook. She could hear a rattle every time he took a breath. And it terrified her.

Miguel had never been sick before. Three years and not even allergies. He was healthy and she did everything to keep his that way. So to see him with a mask over his little face to help him breath, to see his arms stuck with IVs- it broke something inside of Teresa. She hadn’t left his side for a moment since they got to the hospital. She didn’t want him to be alone when all of these new, scary things were happening.

Pote and Javier were outside the door standing guard. Teresa wasn’t worried about enemies right then, but she was glad those two were still watching out for her and Miguel. She was curled up in the bed with her little man, his hand in hers. He was watching cartoons, but Teresa could tell he would be falling asleep soon. His eyes could barely stay open.

The door opened but Teresa didn’t look. She was enjoying watching her son too much. But Miguel looked- his head turning slowly, groggy from the medicine. She watched his little eyebrows scrunch together in his confused face. Then she saw his eyes get wider and wider and a huge smile took over his face. That made her look.

Standing in the doorway- black leather jacket on, sunglasses in his hand- was James.

She drank in the sight of him. He was a little pale- like he hadn’t been in the sun for a while. He was broader, and as he stepped into the room and shrugged his jacket off Teresa could see he had more muscle than before. His hair was longer- like the first time they met. But it was his eyes she kept going back to- and the way they hadn’t left Miguel yet.

“Miguel, who is that?” she noticed the way James’ eyes slid to hers as her voice broke. She saw the silent ‘ _Are you alright?’_ It made something tight loosen in her chest, something she hadn’t known was there until it was gone. She nodded slightly. His eyes went back to his son who was watching him with a mix of awe and nervousness. “Who’s that, mi amor?”

“My Daddy.”

Teresa had never seen _that_ smile on James’ face before.

She fell in love with it.


	3. Chapter Three

James stayed with them at the hospital until Miguel was discharged. It was the first time Teresa had ever seen James visibly nervous. He was so hesitant, but Teresa could see how much he wanted to be close to his son. So they took shifts. Teresa stayed up most of the night with Miguel, and James took the days. It gave him time to get to know his son while still having Teresa close in case they needed her.

And she didn’t sleep as much as Miguel thought she did. Mostly she listened- her mind in that hazy place between sleep and wakefulness. She heard Miguel ask James about where he had been. And she heard James deflect by asking about the cartoons Miguel liked. The two talked about cars and toys, dogs and books. Whatever they could think of, they talked about it.

She had a feeling James knew she was awake- something about the way he answered some of Miguel’s questions. But he let her pretend, and she gathered all the information she could before they had to actually talk. Neither of them seemed ready to take the buffer that Miguel provided away yet. So she pretended and he let her pretend.

-

Then Miguel was discharged. Things were harder. Pote didn’t trust James and hadn’t forgiven him for leaving. The rest of the crew didn’t know how James being back changed things. Was he there to work? Were the two of them back together? She didn’t really know the answers to those questions either. But she acted like she did.

A knock on at the front door told Teresa that James was there. He hadn’t taken her offer to stay at the house. She had a feeling about why, but she wouldn’t push him. She walked into the living room and found James and Charger standing by the couch. She hadn’t even had a chance to say hello before Miguel came barreling into the room and straight into James.

“Daddy!” It still threw James off when Miguel called him that. Teresa could see it in his eyes. She wondered if it was because he didn’t expect her to tell Miguel who he was or if there as something deeper. “I missed you,” Miguel said as James lifted him up for a hug.

“Me too. You feeling better?” Miguel nodded. Teresa knew for a fact he was feeling better. He hadn’t stopped moving since they got home. It was like his little body had to make up for all the time he spent in the hospital bed by running and jumping everywhere. She was exhausted while Miguel just couldn’t sit still. “Good. So what’s the plan today?”

Teresa watched as Miguel thought about what he wanted to do. Charger slipped out of the room quietly, but Teresa saw him smiling. He was the only one who never questioned James’ loyalty or that he was coming back. It made Teresa think that maybe James had been in contact- just not with her. She turned back to James and Miguel. “I think we should go swimming- the three of us. Then we can get some food?” she suggested.

Miguel’s eyes were wide. He loved swimming and she ran a drug cartel- she could manipulate when she needed to. James kept his eyes on Miguel, but nodded. A weight fell off of her even as nerves took over at the idea of them finally having a chance to talk. He put Miguel back on the floor and didn’t even seem surprised when Miguel’s little hand slipped into his. “Let’s get some swim clothes. We’ll met your mom back here in five minutes?” his words were directed at Teresa even though he was looking at Miguel, but she didn’t let it bother her. She just nodded along with her son before watching them make their way up the stairs.

They would talk after the pool.

-

They didn’t talk after the pool. They didn’t talk for another two weeks. James stayed after they had tucked Miguel in one night. Teresa hadn’t known what he was planning but it hadn’t been anything like what he actually did.

James took her by the hand when they left Miguel’s room. He led her to her bedroom and closed the door, locking it behind him. Then he took off his jacket. His belt went next. Then he toed off his shoes. His hands were shaking by the time he got to the zipper of his jeans. She kept her face neutral when they hit the floor. She didn’t gasp when his shirt came off. She wouldn’t let herself react because that wasn’t what he needed from her.

James had always had scars. She had traced them with fingers and tongue. She had kissed them all. She had stitched a few herself. So she knew every scar on his body. At least, she had. Now there were so many more. Now she didn’t know how or when he had gotten certain scars. Now she didn’t know the body in front of her, as familiar as it still seemed.

“I told you about Suzy- about the explosion.” His voice was so raw, strained like he was fighting against something. Teresa nodded. “You know Devon wanted me back.” She nodded again. “ After KellyAnn he called. Said that I could work for him for five years and never hear from him again or…” She had taken a step closer to him without realizing it. Her hand rested on his exposed chest as she watched the emotion on his face. “Or he’d come for you and make sure that you never made it out of Phoenix alive.”

“But…”

“He called. Ten minutes later you told me you were pregnant.” She thought back to the night she told him about Miguel. He had looked so…hurt. Sad in a way she had never seen before. She had felt so unsure of herself. Then he had smiled at her and told her that he was in. But she had still felt the tension in his arms as he held her that night. And every night for the next week. “I talked him into letting me stay until the baby was born. But he had people watching. And if I had stayed even a day he would have taken the deal off the table.”

Her fingers trailed along the new scars. She relearned the body she had spent months learning before he left. She understood what he was saying. He had never wanted to leave her. Even after Bolivia and KellyAnn. She understood why he couldn’t come home then. And she understood why he was staying at a new place now. Because these scars were the kind that brought nightmares with them. And he didn’t want to scare Miguel- or her.

“James.” He arms wound around his neck as she pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “You don’t have to hide from me.” Her fingers slid into the curls she had been missing. “And we still love you. We missed you.” She watched his jaw clench and his eyes go to something over her head. Teresa brought her hands to cup his cheeks and bring his eyes back to hers. “ _I_ still love you.”

James took a deep breath as he searched her eyes for doubts. She didn’t have any so he wouldn’t find any. Teresa stepped back and pulled her t-shirt off. James gave a slow shake of his head. But she ignored him. She wanted this- she needed this. With him. “This wasn’t why I showed you.” She kicked her flats off. He let out a heavy sigh as she unzipped her pants and took them off. But he didn’t try to stop her anymore.

She pulled him to the bed.

His body wasn’t as unfamiliar as it looked.

-

 Eventually Pote came around. It took a while. And he didn’t let James take Miguel anywhere without a shadow for almost a month. But Teresa finally explained where James had been, because James wouldn’t do it. After that- and after a reminder about Bolivia-Pote let James back in without glaring or snide remarks.

Eventually James earned back the respect of the men.

He spent every spare second that he could with Miguel. And he found ways to show his son how much he loved him. It was what Teresa had imagined for her baby when she was pregnant. It was what she hoped things would be like for Miguel when James was gone. And now Miguel had it.

And Teresa was just happen to know that James was alive and safe again. She was happy that she had the man she trusted most back with her. He was being careful, easing back into their relationship even though Teresa was more than ready to get back to where they were. She had missed waking up with him. She had missed showers together and him teasing her in that snarky James way. But she let him take things slow.

 She had been the hesitant one before, she could be patient now.

-

She didn’t mean it. As soon as the words were out of her mouth she wanted to take them back- erase that look on his face. But she couldn’t. All she could do was stand there and watch as he calmly picked up his jacket and walked out the door- an ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ thrown over his shoulder. Miguel was sitting on the floor with his blocks in front of him. But his little eyes were glued to the door his father had just walked out of.

He stood up and came to stand by Teresa. “Is Daddy coming back?”

Physically, yes, James would be back. But emotionally… “Not today. He’ll be back tomorrow, okay mi amor?” Her son nodded and went back to his blocks. But as she sat on the sofa, she saw the way he kept looking to the door. She did that. She made him worry that way and she hated it.

She didn’t even know why she said what she said. They weren’t arguing- not really. But she’d had a long day and she was tired. And if felt like James just couldn’t understand even though she knew he did. But she’d still snapped at him.

_‘You weren’t here. Maybe if you had been, you’d understand that being a dad is more than playing with toy cars for a few hours every day.’_

James did so much more than play cars with Miguel. He listen to him talk about his day. He told him about different cultures and places in the world. He always had something interesting to show Miguel. And Miguel loved spending time with James. It gave her a break, even if she didn’t take advantage of it. And James made sure to follow the rules she had: no sweets before dinner, read a story before watching TV, pick up the toys after they finish playing. He was doing everything right.

And she had made him feel like it wasn’t good enough.

He had given himself up to protect her and Miguel. To protect her business. He had stayed with her for as long as he could before he left. And he came back as soon as he could. That counted for something. It counted for a lot. But she had acted like he’d had some selfish reason for not being with them. It made Teresa wonder if she was really as okay with James being back as she thought. If she was as ready for them to be more as she believed she was.

She left Miguel in the living room and wandered into the kitchen. Pote waited for her to sit down. “Guero left when you needed him most. Then he came back like nothing had changed.” She shook her head. This had nothing to do with Guero. What he did was completely different from what James did. “He might have done it to save you, Teresita, but he still left. Deal with that. Then deal with everything else.”

She scrubbed her face with her hands, her head falling back to keep from crying. “Okay,” she whispered. She took a few deep breaths to get her emotions under control. Then she sent James a text. ‘James, I’m sorry. Can we talk tomorrow?’ She wanted to say more, but she didn’t want it to be over a text. He deserved more than that- they both did.

Ten minutes later she was back on the sofa, Miguel curled up next to her. Her phone vibrated and she paused the story she had been reading to Miguel to check it. A new message was on her screen. From James. She hesitated, finger hovering above the screen. She knew that he would always be around- he wouldn’t leave Miguel again. But that didn’t mean that she and James had to be more to each other. She shook that fear aside and opened the message.

‘I’ll be there at 10.’

It was something. She’d take it.

-

Things were better. She talked about the insecurities that Guero had left her with. James let her know that he wasn’t leaving again- not without telling her first.  And it took time, they moved slow, but eventually they were back to where they had been before he left. Eventually they were better than before. The love had never gone anywhere, but now they were used to each other’s presence again.

She was planning to expand the business to New Orleans. It was time to move on and there was a lot of growth potential in Louisiana. Pote wasn’t excited, but Teresa knew he would be ready to go when she was. Javier was more than ready for a change. He and Boaz had already started talking about Mardi Gras parties. She and James had talked it through for weeks. They had gone through ever risk and benefit they could think of. And even though they hadn’t made final decision yet, Teresa knew. This was what she wanted. This was what the business needed. And James was on her side- personally and professionally. The only one they had to convince was Miguel.

He’d had one question before he agreed.

“Is Daddy coming with us?”

The answer, of course, was ‘Yes’.

**Author's Note:**

> So...What did you think. I'm gonna ask for a comment on this one because I'm a needy, validation-seeking drama queen.


End file.
